


It Grows Up

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 17:49:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sapphie's life was always going to be anything but normal. But this was still beyond all her parents' expectations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Natasha's pain stopped as soon as she heard a soft cry in the room.

"Congratulations, you two. Your daughter seems to have quite a healthy set of lungs."  
Natasha smiled at Clint, who pressed his lips to her temple.

"I'll clean her up and give you guys some time with her."  
"Thanks, Karen."  
The only SHIELD nurse Natasha has ever trusted just smiled in response as she left to clean the crying child.

"I love you, Tasha."  
"I love you too, Clint. Sorry about your hand."  
"Don't worry about it. It's all worth it."  
Karen returned to their bedroom and handed the baby to Natasha.

"I'll be in the living room if you need anything."  
"Thanks. Karen?" Natasha asked.  
"Yeah?"  
"When you do the paperwork, she'll still be ours, right?"  
"Fury already knows, so I'm going to use your primary aliases, just in case. Is that ok?"  
"Yeah. That's what we were going to have you do."  
"Well, then it's good that I know you both so well, isn't it?"

Natasha just stuck her tongue out, causing Karen to chuckle.

"Let me know when you've got a name for her."  
Natasha nodded as Karen slipped from the room.

"She's gorgeous, Tash."  
"She is."  
"Do you have any names?"  
"I don't know. I thought I wanted Viktoria, but now I'm not sure."  
"I like that name. Middle name, maybe?"  
"Maybe."

At that moment, the little girl opened her eyes and stared at her parents.

"Clint." Natasha gasped.  
"I see them, Tasha. They're gorgeous."

The little baby's eyes were the deepest blue Natasha and Clint had ever seen. As they continued to look, they saw flecks of silver and gold on the edges, making the little girl's eye's shine.

"Sapphires." Natasha whispered.  
"What?"  
"Her eyes, they look like Sapphires."  
"They do." Clint agreed.

They were silent for another minute, just staring at their daughter as she stared back.

"Could we name her that?"  
"We could. It goes well with Viktoria."  
"So that's her name? Sapphire Viktoria Barton?"  
"I think it is."  
Sapphire made a cooing noise, causing both Natasha and Clint to smile.

"I think she likes it, Clint."  
"Good."  
"Do you want to hold her? I could do with a short nap."  
"Sure. I'll go tell Karen. Do we want to use her real name on the certificate?"  
"If we did, we'd have to use our real names."  
"It wouldn't be so bad. If anyone found out, we could send her to live with Phil's mom. You know she was excited when we told her. She acts like our mother half the time."  
"We could." Natasha agreed.  
"It's up to you, Tasha."  
"Do it. I don't want to start her life off by lying to her."  
"Ok. I'll go tell Karen. Sleep for a little while, ok?"  
"Ok. Love you."  
"Love you too, Tasha."

Clint kissed Natasha's cheek and left the room with his daughter in his arms.

"Hey there, dad."  
"Hi Karen. We changed our minds?"  
"Oh?"  
"We're going to use our real names, and hers."  
"I figured you guys would change your minds."  
"Well, I guess you do know us pretty well."  
Karen smiled in response. "So what's her name?"  
"Sapphire Viktoria Barton."  
"Cute name. She's a cute kid."  
"I think so."  
Karen laughed. "I just need you to sign this, and Natasha needs to sign it too."  
"I told her to sleep."  
"That's fine. Have her sign it when she wakes up. I'll come by tomorrow and check on you guys. You'll need to bring both of them in to Medical in two weeks, just to check up, ok?"  
"Deal."  
"Good. Now go sit with your wife and kid, Clint."  
"Thank you, Karen. For everything. I know you don't normally do house calls."  
"Well, I wasn't about to piss of the two deadliest people I know."  
Clint chuckled. "We appreciate it, really."  
"I know. I'll see you guys later."  
Clint gave Karen a one armed hug and allowed her to kiss Sapphire's cheek.

"Bye you cutie pie."  
"Bye, Karen."  
"I wasn't talking to you, Clint."  
"You wound me."  
Karen laughed as she exited the house, blowing a kiss to Sapphire as she went.

"Alright, Saph, let's go sit with Mommy, ok?"  
Clint carried the little girl back to the bedroom and pulled the covers over his wife before situating himself next to Natasha. When he was comfortable he carefully laid his daughter on his chest and placed a hand on her back to keep her from moving.

Before long, Clint and Sapphire had fallen asleep next to Natasha, and neither one of them heard the door open. Karen tiptoed through the house until she came to Natasha and Clint's bedroom. She pulled out her camera and took a picture of the adorable sleeping family, smiling at their arrangement on the bed.

Clint was lying straight on the bed, with his left arm on Sapphire's back, and his right arm wrapped around Natasha's shoulders. Natasha had shifted when Clint climbed into the bed, and was currently using his head as her pillow with her right hand on his chest, not far from Sapphire's cheek. Karen smiled once more before leaving the house for the final time.

* * *

A week later, a mysterious envelope was pushed under their door. Clint was nervous at first, but when he turned it over and saw _From Karen_  written on it, his nerves left him. He opened it and found three copies of a picture he had no memory of.

After he showed Natasha, they figured out that it had been taken the day Sapphire was born. Clint left the house for an hour, and returned with three picture frames. He placed the pictures in the frames, and placed one in Sapphire's room, one in the living room, and one in his and Natasha's bedroom.

Every time he looked at the picture, Clint smiled as he remembered one of the happiest days of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

"I hate that you got sick, Sapphie." Clint whispered to his daughter.

The two year old just pressed her face further into the side of Clint's neck, whimpering slightly. She'd had a cold for a few days now, and while she seemed to be getting a little better, she had a runny nose and slight fever still.

Clint made his way to the rocking chair in Sapphie's room and sat down. He rocked slowly, trying to get his daughter to actually sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. He shifted the little girl so he could look at her and kissed the top of her head while he rubbed her back.

Suddenly, Sapphie sneezed. She'd been sneezing for most of the last few days, but this time it was different. When Sapphie sneezed, her hair changed to bright red.

"Whoa! Sapphie, was that you?" Clint asked, shocked.  
Sapphie looked up at him the best she could, eyelids heavy with her lack of sleep.  
She sneezed again, and her hair turned purple.

"Natasha!" Clint yelled. "Natasha, get in here!"  
Natasha's footsteps hurried down the hall to her husband and daughter. "What is it, Clint? I swear to god, if you broke our daughter…"  
"I didn't do it, I swear."  
Natasha entered the room then, and stared at Clint. "What?" She asked.  
"Look at her hair."

Natasha's eyes shifted down slightly, and widened. As Natasha watched her daughter, Sapphie sneezed again, and her hair turned pink.

"I don't think that's normal, Nat."  
"Neither do I."  
Natasha came over and took her daughter from Clint. She held Sapphie at eye level and watched her for a moment. Sapphie coughed slightly, and her eyes changed from the beautiful blue color her parents were starting to get used to to a just as pretty blue green color.

"Clint, her eyes are doing it too."  
"Do you think she's doing it?"  
"I would assume so."  
"What do we do, Tasha?"  
"Get Logan on the phone."  
Clint nodded and left the room, allowing Natasha to sit in the rocking chair with the now sleeping child.

Natasha could hear Clint's side of the conversation in the hall, and tried to figure out what Logan was saying.

"Hey, Logan… no everything is great with us… I thought you'd like that picture. There is actually a reason I'm calling… whatever, dude… anyway, the reason I'm calling is Sapphie… no I'm not saying she is. I'm saying something really weird just happened, and you should come look… but you have experience with this, and we don't… no, there's no one for Nat to kill… I know you did… look I know you're busy, but can you just find the time to come out for a day? I'm a little worried… whatever day works for you… no, we've both gone back to work… we took time off after our last mission went south… Gee, thanks… that'll work perfectly… no, we don't mind if he wants to come… Thanks, buddy."  
Clint hung up and walked back in the room and smiled at Natasha.

"Logan and Charles are coming the day after tomorrow."  
Natasha nodded and stood from the rocking chair without jostling Sapphie.

"Think she'll still be doing it by then?"  
"No idea. Logan seems to think we're making it up, but Charles overheard and was curious. You know how he can be."

Natasha nodded again and kissed Clint's cheek. "It'll change some things, if she is."  
"I know. But we need to figure out wither way."  
Natasha smiled in agreement. She gently placed Sapphie in her bed and pulled the covers around the small girl.

"I hope she gets some sleep this time." Natasha whispered before leaving the room with Clint.

* * *

Two days later, Clint was in the living room with a red-haired, slightly better, Sapphie when there was a knock on the door. Natasha made her way quickly and quietly from the bedroom, gun drawn. Clint listened as she opened the door, and smiled when he heard Logan's voice.

"Really, Romanoff? That little toy won't do you any good between the two of us."  
"But I didn't know it was you, Logan. Usually you just let yourself in."  
"Well, we got a few looks from you neighbors, so we decided that breaking in wasn't the best of ideas."  
"Glad you finally found a reason to respect other people's privacy." Natasha said, her tone filled with humor.  
"It's good to see you, Natasha." Logan stated.  
"You too. Come on in, guys. Clint and Saph are in the living room."  
Clint heard the front door closing and two sets of footsteps and wheels coming down the hall.

"Hey, dude." Logan said, smiling.  
"Hey." Clint replied.  
"Last I saw her, her hair wasn't red."  
"It's not usually. It only happens when she has a sneezing or coughing fit, and she just finished one, so it's stuck like that until she sneezes again."  
"What about coughing?"  
"Only affects her eyes. Sneezing is her hair."

Logan nodded and made his way to Sapphie. Without warning, he grabbed the little girl and tossed her in the air. She was startled for a moment, but when she realized who it was, she began giggling and squealing with delight.

"Hey, pretty girl." Logan cooed.  
"Logan!" Sapphie chirped, placing her hand on his cheek. Logan turned his head to kiss her palm before he set her on the floor again. She looked over and saw Charles and toddled over to him.

"Hi."  
"Hi, Sapphie." The professor replied. Sapphie hadn't quite learned to say his name yet, so she tended to avoid it.  
Logan picked Sapphie up again and set her in the man's lap, allowing her to hug him.

"Did you do this, Sapphie?" Charles asked, pulling a lock of her hair in front of her eyes.  
"Assident." She said.  
"It's ok, Saph. I just wanted to know."  
"I 'chooed."  
"We're you sick?"  
"All better now."  
Charles smiled. "Can you do something for me?"  
"I try."  
"That's all I ask. Can you try doing it again, without sneezing?"

Sapphie looked slightly scared, but nodded. She closed her eyes tightly, and a look of concentration crossed her face.

After a moment, and nothing happening, Clint sighed slightly.

"Thank you, Sapphie, you can open your eyes." Charles said calmly.

When Sapphie's eyes opened, Charles gasped slightly.

"What I do?" Sapphie asked worried.

Natasha came to look at her daughter and smiled when she saw that the little girl's eyes were purple.

"Your eyes are purple, Saph." Natasha replied.  
"Sorry!"  
"Oh, don't apologize, Sapphie."  
"Kay."  
"Do you remember what you did?"  
"I picked a color."  
"And did you see it in your head?"  
"Yeah. Was going to do blue, but I saw that one first and it was pretty."

Charles laughed at Sapphie's response. Without warning, she sneezed again and her hair turned black.

"Well, Logan, I think that settles it."  
"I think you're right."  
Charles handed Sapphie to Logan and gestured for Natasha and Clint to follow him into the kitchen.

"What do you think?"  
"I think it's highly likely that Sapphie is a mutant. That being said, normally they don't come to the school this early."  
"We know, we just wanted to know if that's what it was." Natasha replied.  
"Understandable. Now, since I know you both, and how possessive you can both be, I'd like to offer you an opportunity."  
"What?"  
"Since you're both working for SHIELD, and will undoubtedly be going on missions, whenever you're both needed, she's more than welcome at the school. I can help her further her talents, and she can spend time with Logan and Ororo. I know they both love her, and she seems to enjoy being with them."

As if to emphasize Charles' comments, a delighted squeal was heard from the other room.

"There are a few more tests I'd like to do, none of which will harm her of course, but they can wait until she's older."  
Natasha and Clint nodded. "Thank you, Charles." Natasha said.  
"It was my pleasure. I've missed seeing you both, and I do have a soft spot for Sapphie."

Natasha smiled, just as she heard a cry from the other room.

"Logan?" She called worriedly.  
Logan came running into the room, holding a tearful Sapphie. "Sorry! She caught me off guard, and my claws came out before I could stop it. I just scratched her, it should be too deep. Sorry!"

Clint took his child to the sink and turned the water on. He rinsed off her arm, growing puzzled.

"Are you sure you scratched her?"  
"Of course I am! You saw the blood!"  
"Oh, there it is. Tasha, come here!"  
Natasha ran over to her husband in concern, but it changed to awe in a second. She saw the scratch Logan had given Sapphie, and watched as it slowly disappeared.

"How bad is it?" Logan asked.  
"Gone."  
"Wait, what?"  
"It's gone."  
"Impossible. It was a pretty nasty cut."  
"I'm telling you, dude."  
Logan made his way to the people at the sink and gently turned Sapphie's arm over, looking for where he'd hurt her, but he couldn't see anything.

"Sapphie?" Natasha asked.  
"Mommy."  
"What happened to your arm?"  
"Logan scratch me. It hurt so I fix it."  
"Fixed it?"  
"Yeah."

Natasha looked over at Clint in confusion. She saw his question and nodded slowly.

"Sapphie, daddy wants to try something, ok?"  
"It hurt?"  
"Just a little bit. But I'll hold your hand, and when he's done, you can have a popsicle."  
"Ok!"  
Clint took a small needle from one of the drawers in the kitchen. He pulled his lighter from his pocket and ran it over the needle, ensuring that it was cleaned.

"Can I have your hand, Saph?"  
"Yep." Sapphie held out her hand and Clint took her pointer finger in his hand, and poked it lightly with the needle. Sapphie flinched slightly, but showed no other sign of pain.

When the needle was removed, Clint and Natasha watched as the wound disappeared.

"That's definitely not normal." Clint whispered.  
"Might I see what you've discovered?" Charles asked.

Clint nodded and pulled Sapphie into his arms. He sat her down on Charles' lap and took her hand again. This time, he made a small incision on Sapphie's finger, and watched as the skin healed itself almost immediately.

Natasha could tell that Sapphie's finger was starting to hurt, so she grabbed an ice cube from the freezer and wrapped it in a paper towel. She gently kissed her daughter's finger before placing the ice cube on it. Then she returned to the freezer and got a popsicle for Sapphie.

The little girl smiled when she saw the treat and held out her other hand for it.

"It would seem she's got advanced healing. Not surprising, given your history, Natasha." Logan said, pulling Sapphie into his arms.  
"I think this confirms it, Logan." Charles said.  
They shared a few more comments while Natasha and Clint were engaged in one of their silent discussions. They were pulled back to the present when Logan cleared his throat.

"It would appear that your daughter is a mutant." He said simply.


End file.
